Raebareli/Amethi, May 20 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the RSS "traitors" who are "attacking the Constitution" every day and have sold the country's interests to select industrialists.

The strong allegations by the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha came on the second day of his visit to his constituency Raebareli. The BJP criticised his remarks as a reflection of his "anarchic mindset and character".

Gandhi while addressing a 'Bahujan Swabhiman Sabha' in Raebareli to commemorate local revolutionary Veera Pasi, appealed to the public, "You will have to stand up and fight. When RSS workers come to your homes and talk about Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, you must tell them that their prime minister, their home minister and their organisation are traitors. They have sold our Hindustan and attacked our Constitution, Ambedkarji and Mahatma Gandhi." Later addressing an event in Amethi, Gandhi referred to his remarks made earlier in the day at Raebareli and said, "I had said that Modi and Amit Shah are traitors. If someone weakens and destroys our Constitution, then what else should they be called if not traitors?" Taking on the RSS, he said, "They ask me to apologise. I will never apologise. I am not afraid of them." In Raebareli, Gandhi accused the prime minister of "attacking the Constitution 24 hours a day" by weakening MNREGA, not conducting caste census, and favouring select industrialists.

He also referred to Modi's recent appeal to cut down on fuel consumption, gold purchase, and foreign travel to warn of an "economic storm" coming our way. He slammed Modi for flying off on a five-nation tour right after his appeal to the people to refrain from going abroad.

"In the coming months, inflation will rise sharply. Prices of petrol, diesel, gas, food grains, everything will increase," he said.

Gandhi said the war between Iran and the US and Israel will lead to a major economic shock due to disruption in global oil supply. "You may have never seen such inflation in your lifetime." He said that fertiliser shortages will hit farmers and kerosene supply could be disrupted, but the economic impact would not affect "Ambani and Adani", only ordinary citizens.

The former Congress president alleged that before elections, people were assured that there would be no shortage of petrol and gas and that fuel prices would not rise, but that has changed now.

"Today, when petrol prices are rising, Ambani is exporting fuel outside India. He buys oil from Russia and sells it abroad, and that money is used to fund Narendra Modi," he alleged.

Gandhi said the government would not be able to protect the people from the coming crisis, the impact of which will be visible in two to three months.

"You will see Narendra Modi crying on television, just as he did during Covid and demonetisation, saying it was not his fault. But I am telling you that the fault lies with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS because they destroyed the Constitution," he alleged.

Earlier, Gandhi said remembering Ambedkar, Veera Pasi, and Mahatma Gandhi was meaningful only if their ideology is protected. "Just folding hands before their statues is not enough. If you go out and act against their ideology, it has no meaning." He said India's ideals of equality and justice must be defended collectively.

"The Veera Pasis, Ambedkars and Gandhis of the 21st century will come from among you. They will not come from the sky," he said.

Criticising Modi further, Gandhi said he took "all the money from people's pockets and homes" away.

He alleged that the provisions of a public sector, reservation, and an independent judiciary enshrined in the Constitution have been "dismantled by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS" and the idea of a free and independent media has been "finished" by these forces.

Modi has "handed over India's economic system" to Adani and Ambani and to the US, Gandhi asserted.

He accused the Union government of privatising the public sector and appointing RSS-linked vice-chancellors, who, he alleged, had little knowledge of science, history, or geography, and were chosen because of their ideological affiliation.

The Congress leader said that the Constitution, which guarantees one person-one vote, is being undermined through special intensive revision of electoral rolls, and deletion of "crores of votes".

"Those who do not vote for them are being removed from voter lists. The Constitution is under attack 24 hours," he said.

But the truth is now emerging and "no one will be spared", he added.

Gandhi said the Constitution is not an ordinary document, but one that carries the ideology of Ambedkar, Veera Pasi and Mahatma Gandhi. "It says India belongs to everyone, not to any caste, individual, billionaire or organisation." Gandhi said that in 2016 while demonetising big banknotes, Modi made an emotional appeal to the public and vowed to bring back black money, but little came out of it.

"He said 'hang me if black money is not eliminated'. But was black money eliminated?" he asked.

"During the lockdown, the PM said, migrant workers suffered immense loss, while loans worth lakhs of crores of rupees belonging to industrialists were waived.

"And now the same thing is going to happen again," Gandhi claimed.

He said slogans alone would achieve nothing as he urged people to protect the Constitution.

"Folding hands alone will not help. You will have to stand firm and fight," he said. PTI KIS/COR ZMN